This desolate future is a dark and dreary place, indeed. From Bangor Dome (where the time portal is located), you'll first want to head south, to a location called Trann Dome. Here, you'll find the future's starving survivors, with little prospect for relief. The initial man you meet in Trann Dome will ask you if you have money. Be sure to tell him that you do, even if it seems sketchy. Doing so will open you up to his shop, which will allow for full armor upgrades for each character, as well as a new weapon for Lucca. Talk to everyone else there at your leisure, and be sure to use their healing machine before proceeding as well.

Go back to the north, going past Bangor Dome. You'll run into a place called Site 16. This is where you want to be. Site 16 is a place full of enemies, both conventional and otherwise. The most notable feature of this area are the pesky rats running around. While these foes can't be engaged in combat, if they touch you they will steal a curative item from your inventory (most likely a Potion), making them economically devastating if you're pinched on cash as it is. As for enemies you can contend with, you'll deal with three types. Ruin Stalkers and Craters are innocuous creatures, but the Floral Horror is another story entirely. While none of these foes can attack with great skill, the Floral Horror can heal the entire enemy party in a single turn. Prioritize their elimination when they're included in the group of adversaries you're currently facing.

Begin to traverse the winding corridors, battling enemy parties of varying make-ups as you go. You'll begin in the southwestern corner of the map and end up in the northeastern corner. Make sure to find the three treasure chests en route (one tucked near the beginning on the east side, and the other two clearly visible as you go northward). These chests will contain, in order, a Berserker Ring, a Silver Sword, and a Silver Bow, the latter of which you'll want to equip on Marle.

In the second area you encounter, deal with the party of new foes, Shadows. The best way to deal with these hard-to-hit enemies is to deal with them by using a tech. Firewhirl works exceptionally well. The other enemy type you'll encounter here are Mutants, enemies with a lot of hit points but not much of a punch. Head south from the get go, and search the western edge of the map for the lone treasure chest in this area, which contains an Ether. Then, head to the eastern end and go north to breach the far side of Site 16.

Now that you're back on the world map, you can reach Arris Dome, which is located due east. Once within Arris Dome, traverse the linear corridors until you reach another group of starving people. This disheveled group claims they have a store of food in the rooms beneath, but are unable to access them due to a robotic guard. After saving your game and buying anything needed from the merchant in the group (tell her you have money to gain access -- keep in mind she is carrying the same stuff the person in the last settlement was). Then, head down the ladder to the rooms below.

Now, head to the two computer terminals ahead. These terminals must be somehow activated, but first, head up the ladder on your left. This will lead to a series of beams above a settlement area below. Traverse these beams to reach the far northern end (the rat statue has a note on it, so be sure to read it). When you reach the room to the north of the beams, you'll be confronted by the boss of this area.

The boss is called Guardian, and it's accompanied by two Pods. These Pods represent the true power of Guardian, for without them the foe is unable to attack. However, if you attack the Guardian without first eliminating at least one of its Pods, you will be in for a Delta Attack, which will do 50+ HP of damage to each character each time it's used (which will be each time you attack the Guardian with two Pods in tact). In fact, you should make it a priority to kill both Pods before turning your ire on the Guardian, but watch the Guardian's countdown! When it reaches zero, the Pods will return, and you'll have to deal with them and their individual attacks until they are again eliminated. We'll repeat once more for good measure -- don't attack the Guardian until the Pods are defeated!

After you kill Guardian, head to the room it was guarding. Within, you'll find a deceased member of the settlement above. In his hands, he's clutching a seed. Analyze his body again to read a note about the rat with the note on it that we observed on the beams. It appears this creature knows the secret to activating the computer system. As you leave, grab the Mid-Ether from the treasure chest. Then, once you return to the beams, chase the rat and capture him to learn that by holding L and R down when examining the computer console. With that information, why not go back to the gleaming computer terminal and give it a try?

Successfully turning on the computer will open up a path to your right. Take this short path to the door, and head on through to the next room. Ignore the catwalks for now and head straight to the north (after dealing with the two Rats and the Exterminator that confront you as soon as you enter). Grab the Mid-Ether from the chest they were guarding, and then use the stairs on your left to reach the catwalk there, taking it around to the northern end of this room. Fight the Bugs you encounter, and then get up on the catwalk on the right side, using it to gain access to a door that leads to the north.

Traversing this next area will require quite a few enemy confrontations, most notably with Version 2.0, robotic foes that pack quite the punch. Thankfully, there are no treasures to miss, so the winding path you take towards the northern end of the room is up to you. Though you'll encounter another computer terminal you can open with the L and R trick, the door it was guarding can't be breached yet. Instead, you'll need to get on the catwalks on the left side of the room once you arrive at the north end, since this will allow you to reach the room where the super computer itself is located.

Lucca's in-depth scientific knowledge allows her to awaken the super computer, where a simulation shows the destruction of the world. Making the connection that this is their world's very own future after its destruction, the party resolves to do something about it. Return to the settlement, where the seed found earlier will be automatically handed over. You'll also be given the Jetbike Key for a Jetbike sitting over at Site 32. Speaking of which, that's our next destination!